Investigation demonstrates high ammonia production efficiency in a seawater-based system, suggesting a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment.
Coupling the nitrate reduction reaction (NO 3 − RR) with seawater‐based electrosynthesis systems provides a sustainable way for simultaneous ammonia (NH 3 ) production and active chlorine (AC), yet practical implementation remains limited by the complex multielectron‐proton coupling of NO 3 − RR. Herein, we develop a cobalt‐copper doped W 2 N 3 (CoCu‐W 2 N 3 ) precatalyst that can be electrochemically reconstructed into a Cu 0/1+ ‐Co(OH) 2 ‐W 2 N 3 ternary heterostructure with enhanced NO 3 − RR performance. This ternary heterostructure enables coordinated deoxygenation, intermediates transfer, and hydrogenation throughout the NO 3 − RR process. As a result, the catalyst achieves an NH 3 Faradaic efficiency (FE) of over 96% and maintains stable operation for 348 h. To enhance its practical applicability, we designed a seawater‐based bipolar‐membrane system coupling NO 3 − RR with AC generation. The system achieved an NH 3 Faradaic efficiency greater than 90% at 120 mA cm −2 while simultaneously producing a disinfectant suitable for medical environment applications. Techno‐economic analysis estimates that the cost of producing a kilogram of NH 3 using this system is US$2.37, with further cost reduction potential unlocked by pairing nitrate‐rich wastewater and surplus renewable energy.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Wu et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: